Nokia Lumia 920 ships today as EE exclusive: Bad for WP8?

Nokia's first Windows Phone 8 smart phones, the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, are winging their way to buyers today, the Finnish phone-maker has confirmed. You'll only be able to get your paws on the Lumia 920 if you opt for the UK's first -- very expensive -- 4G network, however.

Update: EE has confirmed the Lumia 920 will also be available on Orange and T-Mobile (which, rather confusingly, are part of EE), which means you'll probably be able to get hold of the Lumia 920 without paying the high prices that 4G demands. Vodafone, O2 and Three customers are still out of luck for now though. The original story follows:

That could be a significant blow to Windows Phone 8's success, at least at launch. I can't see many people opting for EE's expensive new network to start with, and even then anyone who decides to pay the extra cash for 4G speeds will also be tempted by smart phone delights like the Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE.

EE exclusivity doesn't exactly make Nokia's new flagship available to as many people as possible, and as the Lumia 920 will be one of the most tempting Windows Phone 8 mobiles around, the deal could hurt the uptake of the operating system.

If you want to buy the Lumia 920 you can also get it from Phones 4U, though you'll only be able to buy it on an EE contract. While Nokia tells me pre-order smart phones are winging their way to customers today, those looking to buy the Lumia 920 right now will still have to wait a few days -- early November is when we should see the 4.7-inch mobile on sale.

That's also when we'll see the smaller Lumia 820 on sale. There aren't any exclusivity deals surrounding this 4.3-inch little brother -- O2, Carphone Warehouse and Tesco's Phone Shop are all in line to flog this mid-range blower. Phones 4u has exclusive rights to sell the 'full colour range', however, so you may need to shop around if you want a phone in a particular hue.

Will you buy a Lumia 920 or 820? Or would you rather own a Nexus 4? Tell me in the comments or on our Facebook wall.